LAST UPDATE: 15:51
The meeting of the Standing Holy Synod decided to refer the matters discussed during the last three days to an extraordinary meeting of the Hierarchy of the Church of Greece, which will be convened on March 19.
In the announcement of the Standing Holy Synod, which was concluded on Thursday afternoon, it is stated that it was decided to convene the Holy Synod of the Hierarchy of the Church of Greece from 19 to 21 March.
On the issue of Church-State relations, it is stressed that the Synod had been informed by a Special Committee’s report on the progress of the discussions so far, on the basis of the Committee’s comments on the proposed framework agreement submitted by the Ministry Education and decided to refer the matter to the extraordinary meeting of the Hierarchs.
Regarding the recognition of the Autocephalous Church of Ukraine, the Standing Holy Synod commissioned the Synodical Committee for Doctrinal and Nomocanonical Matters and the Synodical Committee for Inter-Orthodox and Inter-Christian Relations to draw up in common a proposal to the Holy Synod.
The Standing Holy Synod also accepted the resignation of Metropolitan Chrysostomos of Peristeri. Moreover, the Synod awarded the Apostle Paul Order to Metropolitan Efthimios of Acheloos for his valuable services during his fifty-year Archieratic Ministration in the Greek Orthodox Church.
Finally, the Synod approved the income statement – financial management expenses of 2018 of the Panhellenic Sanctuary “PANAGIA SOUMELA”.